Oh, What an Experience!!

The School-based Agricultural Education Across the Globe program is history for 2014. And oh, what an experience it was!

Eight undergraduate and eight graduate students from the University of Florida and Penn State University and four faculty from UF and PSU began the journey with a 10-week course during Spring 2014, providing essential background in preparation for the in-country experience. Then 28 days in the Republic of Korea provided the culmination to a learning adventure that was a huge success.

Interactions with counterparts at Seoul National University, Suncheon National University, and Gwang-ju National University of Education provided the central focus of the study abroad portion of the program. Programs and activities related to Korean heritage and culture and "seeing the sights" brought a greater understanding to all we had learned about Korean agricultural education as well as US school-based agricultural education programs.

What did we bring home?

First, we know a lot more about Korea, from the ancient dynasties to post-war reconstruction into a major economic and cultural center. We learned about the various ways that agriculture teachers in Korea receive preparation to become teachers, including Practical Arts teachers in the elementary schools. We discovered a variety of delivery mechanisms for agriscience education, including comprehensive high schools that offer a variety of agriculture programs, Meister schools that are heavily supported by industry to provide training in a specific field, and vocational-technical schools that operate their own agriculture enterprises in a self-management scheme. We heard about and witnessed the pressures and concerns regarding production agriculture in a country with relatively little available land and lots of people to feed. And we interacted with education leaders who described the goals of public education within the new administration. And we brought home a lot of souvenirs!


But international activity is more than what we received. What did we leave behind?

In working with undergraduate students at Seoul National University, we left behind a group of students who have experience in teaching high school classes, from preparing micro-lessons to delivering instruction. We left behind teaching activities that high school teachers can use in their classrooms in Korea. Hopefully we left behind a better understanding of US school-based agricultural education and appreciation for the positive relationships between the two countries. And we may have left behind some students and teachers who will come to the US for additional education.

From sharing meals with new friends (Korean barbecue, kimchi, pizza and chicken . . . the list goes on) to lunch with a university president and the Vice Minister of Education, every activity was a learning and growing experience for all. We look forward to hosting some Korean teachers and students at our universities, as we have already begun plans for 2016!

We owe a lot of thanks to all who hosted us, especially the students, faculty and administration of Seoul National University.

Introduction: Kirby, Professor, University of Florida. On to Korea!

I began my career in agricultural education as a vocational agriculture instructor in Ohio after graduating from Ohio State University. I later served as an assistant state supervisor in agricultural education in Ohio before completing my Ph.D. in agricultural education at Ohio State. The next 16 years on the faculty at Ohio State included seven years as department chair and nearly three years as head of the 4-H Youth Development program.

My first international experience occurred when I was 18, thanks to FFA---an around-the-world venture of three weeks, and an unbelievable experience. But nothing else evolved internationally for a while, and I was heavily involved with a young family and a career.

Then off to the University of Illinois as Associate Dean of the agriculture college. A new opportunity unfolded, this time in Egypt. and for the last 10 years my international development involvement has focused on curriculum development and teaching/learning enhancement at the high school and college levels. My work in Egypt as well as in Saudi Arabia, Ghana, and Swaziland is done with two over-arching goals in mind: that the people I leave behind will be better, and that the colleagues I take with me will return home with a broader set of skills and understandings regarding agricultural education.

And the University of Florida, where I have been since 2005, is supportive of these international development activities.

I believe that all undergraduate students should have the opportunity to study outside the US, even if only for a week. And I believe that the most valuable international experiences can be those that are closely related to career interests and aspirations. I have taken students to the Dominican Republic, Korea, and Egypt. While places like Egypt offer instruction in agriculture in the high schools, there is no agriculture teacher preparation program in the universities. A notable exception in the world is the Republic of Korea.

Seung Il Na completed a Ph.D. in agricultural education at Ohio State and I was his adviser. He got me involved in an international agricultural education conference in 1992 at Kon-kuk University in Seoul. He and I have maintained a close professional relationship over the years as he joined the faculty and was department chair at Seoul National University, the premier public university in Korea. He is now Vice Minister of Education. We have hosted students from SNU here in Florida as well.

So the similarities between US and Korean agricultural education in public schools and in universities, and the friendship with Dr. Na and others, makes our course and study tour a logical approach to broadening our horizons into East Asia. Plus the culture and history . . . and the wonderful people! It will be a great experience.